Vehicle running-gear.



am 0 9 1 cm 2 E N U J D E T N E T A P T G I D 7N 0 U H mm 5w 5 1 1 3 7 mN VEHICLE RUNNING GEAR.

I APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1903,

N0 MODEL.

gun 01AM 1 xi;

l V fnesses.

Patented June 23, 1903.

PATENT EEicE.

. GEORGEHERBERT OONDICT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VEHICLE RUNNING-GEAR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 731,755, dated June 23,1903. Application filed January 19, 1903. Serial No. 139,549. (Nomodel.)

To all whont it may concern.-

Be it known that LGEoReE H RBERT OoN- DIC'I, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan,-in the city of NewYork, State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Running-Gears, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to vehicles, and more particularly totheconstruction of runninggear for vehicles, especially those used inmotor-vehicles,where the parts are comparatively heavier than ordinaryvehicles, while the added mechanism embodied in the vehicles is such asto make straining of parts most undesirable.

The main object of the invention is to produce a running-gear that willpermit a large amount of warpability or flexibility in the Wheel-basewithout distorting the body or frame supportingthe bodyorpropellingmechanism, as well as other objects which will hereinafterappear.

In carrying out the construction the aim is to produce a light, simple,and at the same time strong construction with the objects abovementioned, as well as advantages mentioned more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawings forming a part of this speci fication, Figure 1 is aside perspective view .of a running-gear, wheels omitted, with theposition of the superimposed body shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is aside elevation, on larger scale, of the middle portion of the springsystem on one side. Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 2, showing in dottedlines the position of the adjacent frame portion in section.

The frame A, which Ihave shown as a rectangular level construction ofangle-irons, is

made of reasonable rigidity and adapted to support a body, which I haveshown dotted, as B. i

The front axle O carries at either end individually-pivotedsteeringwheelsin brackets O O, whilea rear axle member D carries at itsend driving wheels. (Not shown.) This axle, as shown, is a casing with aprotuberance d, which may inclose a balance-gear of any desired form anda driving member to transmit motion to a parted axle connected with thewheels at the extremity of the axle member D. Springs E and E and F andF extend, respectively, from the front axle and from the rear axle,inclined upwardly toward the frame A, each being secured to its respective axle near one end. The springs E and F are attached rigidly toone side of the frame longitudinal member a, while E and F are notattached rigidly to the frame, but are firmly secured to a stout memberG, which in the embodiment shown consists of an angle-iron which ispivotally mounted on the side memberof the frame a. In the embodimentshown the forward ends of the springs E and E and the rearward ends ofsprings F and F are attached to their respective axles rigidly.

Extending from side to side of the frameA near its middle is a bar H,which passes through a bearing J in the pivoted member G, affording aswivel therefor. This bar H is securely held in the block I on the sideof the frame, to which springs E and F are rigidly attached. The block Iis of a height sufficient to compensate for the distance between theframe and the oscillating member G on the other side of the vehicle, sothat the two systems of springs on either side of the vehicle are seatedon the same level. The end of bar Hon the same side of the ve hicle asspring system EF passes through a bearing J, attached to member G, andprojecting beyond it outwardly rests in the side of the frame A, whichin the embodiment shown is reinforced by an angle-iron a. Thus it willbe seen that the member G,with its bearing on bar H, may oscillate in avertical plane, and consequently permit oscillation of the springs E Fand as well the extremities of the forward and rear axle to which thosesprings are attached.

In a running-gear of this nature on which is superimposed a body,preferably of the lightest possible material, it is necessary that nostrains be transmitted to that body and equally desirable that theinterconnecting framing between the middle portionsof the spring systemsshould not besubjected to unnecessary straining, especially of a warpingtendency. Heretofore the running-gears of, generally speaking, thisnature have embodied between the central portions of their springsystems interconnections rigidly attached to each spring for somedistance, or at least two points on each spring, which has necessitatedunduly heavy construction of such interconnections, preventing relativevertical flexibility of one spring system with respect to the other, or,on the other hand, if the interconnections were light the use of thevehicle and resulting flexing of the spring systems have imparteddangerous warping strains to the interconnecting framing, which isusually constructed with the intention of being rigid, graduallyloosening the joints and connections of such framing and also disaliningand in a general-way seriously impairing the engine or other mechanismsupported on that framing. In the construction as shown in the drawingsforming a part hereof the frame A will have no warping straintransmitted to it when the vehicle runs over uneven groundas, forexample, when the forward end of E is raised by the wheel at this end ofthe forward axle passing over a rise in the ground the whole springsystem on the corresponding side of the vehicle will be raised, andthough it assumes a different position in its vertical plane and throwsone side of the frame A upward, this side of the frame being attached bythe swivel, consisting of the bar H and the bearing J, will permit arelative tipping of the spring system, consisting of springs E F and barG, and prevent relative distortion of side member a and side member atof the frame. In this respect the functioning of a running-gearembodying my invention can be considered as a body or frame supported atthree points on the two longitudinal spring systemsthat is, the rigidattachment of the system on one side corresponds to a two-pointattachment, or can actually be made a two-point attachment, while on theother side the one point, and that a swivel, permits a perfectarticulation for all practical purposes without straining of any of themembers beyond the entire spring system and the body. Due to thedifferentangularity of the forward and rearaxle when one corner of thewheel-base is raised there will be a slight torsional effect on thesprings; but as they are long and for light vehicles are comparativelynarrowit becomes practically unnecessary to make the connections betweensprings and axle such as to allow for this. In case of a heavyconstruction it is within the province of my invention to combine withthe feature already specifically mentioned a swiveling construction inthe connections of two or more of the junctions between springs andaxles or a combination of joints including a slightly spherical bearingbetween the bar G and the bar H, as for some purposes it is desirable tohave as many as possible of the connections between spring and axlesrigid to resist the tendency of distortion in a horizontal plane fromthe rectangular shape of the runninggear. To still further resist thishorizontally distorting tendency in cases where it may be desirable, anoblique bracing of the frame A from the neighborhood of the swivel-jointon one side'to the hearings on the opposite side would suffice toentirely prevent any actual horizontal distortion.

It will be seen that instead of four separate springs the systems oneither side could be made continuous from axle to axle without departingfrom the spirit of my invention.

It will be seen that whereas heretofore the distorting tendency due tothe warping of the wheel-base has tended to warp and gradually rack theframe and body connections'loose with my construction no such injuriouseffect results, and at the same time a lighter construction of frameispermitted and a lighter body may be safely mounted upon the framewithout the chance of injury. The body may be constructed with the framean integral portion to simplify the construction; but I prefer to embodymy invention in a structure in which the frame, spring systems, axles,and, in fact, running-gear complete may be assembled and any desiredform of body imposed thereon readily detachable for' numerous reasons.

Though I have shown my invention as embodied in a special form ofrunning-gear, I do not wish to limit myself to the details orarrangement as therein particularly shown, as various modifications orchanges may be made while still embodying my essential features.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a vehicle, forward and rear axle members, a longitudinal springsystem on each side of said vehicle, a frame, one of said spring systemsattached rigidly to said frame and the other loosely attached thereto.

2. In a vehicle, a forward axle member and means of suspension forindividually-pivoted wheels on either end thereof, springs attached tosaid axle near either end, extending rearwardly and upwardly, a frame,one of said springs attached rigidly to said frame, the other springpivotally attached thereto, springs extending rearwardly and downwardlyfrom said frame, a rear axle member to which the latter are attached.

3. In a vehicle, front and rear axle members, a frame, a spring systemextending longitudinally from axle to axle, and a pivotal connectionbetween said spring system and frame, a second spring system connectingsaid frame with said axles, the means of engagement between said secondspring system and frame cooperating to alone secure a stable support ofsaid frame. 7

4. In a Vehicle, two axle members, a frame or body member, twolongitudinal spring systems extending from axle to axle, connectionsbetween said frame or body member and said spring systems, connectionson one side being rigid, and the connections on the other side pivoted,substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a vehicle runninggear, the combination of front and reartransverse members,

two longitudinal spring systems extending from one transversemember tothe other, intermediate directconnections between said spring systems,including a single pivotal at- 2 tachment on one side.

6. In a vehicle, a running-gear comprising two longitudinal springsystems, a supported frame or body, connectionsto one spring systemwhereby stability of said body or frame is secured,and connections tothe other spring system whereby the relative oscillation of the springsystem is permitted. 7

7. In a vehicle, a running-gear, the combination of front and reartransverse members, two longitudinal spring systems extending from onetransverse member to the other, in-

termediate direct connections between said spring systems including asingle pivotal attachment on one side, said frame or-body constitutingthe sole interconnection between the spring systems whereby longitudinalmovement of one spring system relative to the other is prevented.

' 8. In avehicle running-gear,two transverse oraxle members, twolongitudinal spring systems extending from one to the other of saidtransverse members, a single transverse rod extending from one springsystem to the other at their middle portions, said rod cooperating witha bearing on one of said systems whereby a free oscillatory motion in avertical plane of one spring system with respect to the other ispermitted.

9. In combination in a running-gear,a warpable rectangular structurecomprising axles and longitudinal spring systems directly connecting thesame, interconnecting means between the middle portions of said springsystems whereby the rectangularity of said structure is maintained, saidinterconnecting means consisting of a rigid frame, flexible connectionsbetween said frame and the warpable rectangular structure whereby no disGEORGE HERBERT CONDICT.

In presence of FRED. VIEWEG, I-IERMANN F. CUNTZ.

